Market
access for goods in the WTO means the conditions, tariff and non-tariff
measures, agreed by members for the entry of specific goods into
their markets. Tariff commitments for goods are set out in each
member's schedules of
concessions on goods. The schedules
represent commitments not to apply tariffs above the listed rates
— these rates are “bound”. Non-tariff measures are dealt with
under specific WTO agreements (see list below). WTO Members seek to continually
improve market access through the regular WTO work programme and
through negotiations such as those launched at the Doha Ministerial
Conference in November 2001.

In line with WTO's efforts to enhance transparency, Members have agreed to derestrict an important number of documents relating to earlier GATT Rounds of negotiations. 1

The derestricted material includes more than 5,000 records kept by the Secretariat, including bilateral requests, offers, and agreements negotiated using the "request and offer" approach".

The bilateral material has been scanned in a joint project with Stanford University Libraries to ensure its preservation.

1. For more background information on the subject please see minutes of the meetings of the Committee on Market Access (G/MA/M/52, G/MA/M/53, and G/MA/M/55) and the General Council Decision of 25 July 2013, “Derestriction of some GATT 1947 historical bilateral negotiating documentation” (WT/L/892).

At
its meeting on 31 January 1995 the General Council established
the WTO Committee on Market Access with the following terms of
reference:

The
Committee on Market Access shall:

(a)
in relation to market access issues not covered by any other WTO
body:

supervise
the implementation of concessions relating to tariffs and
non-tariff measures;

provide
a forum for consultation on matters relating to tariffs and
non-tariff measures;

(b)
oversee the application of procedures for modification or
withdrawal of tariff concessions;

(c)
ensure that GATT Schedules are kept up-to-date, and that
modifications, including those resulting from changes in tariff
nomenclature, are reflected;

(d)
conduct the updating and analysis of the documentation on
quantitative restrictions and other non-tariff measures, in
accordance with the timetable and procedures agreed by the
CONTRACTING PARTIES in 1984 and 1985 (BISD 31S/227 and 228,
and BISD 32S/92 and 93).

Search Documents OnlineDocuments on
market access use the code G/MA/*. Under the Doha agenda’s trade negotiations mandate, they use
TN/MA/* (where * takes additional values).
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Notifications
in pursuance of paragraph 3 of
the Understanding regarding notification,
consultation, dispute settlement and
surveillance and the decision on
notification procedures Annexed to the
final act embodying the results of the
Uruguay Round of Multilateral trade
negotiations (Document code
WT/L/* and keyword “paragraph 3 of the understanding”) > search

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Market access on specific subjects is dealt with
directly under the relevant gateways